Edit TLDR: want to leave the game but am scared to take the leap into being my own boss. Current job is toxic, but am having a hard time quitting.
Hi all, I could use some advice or a nudge to quit. I have been at my healthcare fundraising job for four years. I accepted the job based on the promise that I would be promoted to director of the foundation once it was created. Instead, the CEO of the health center made himself the director of the foundation and is the leader of both organizations. I was moved into the Foundation along with two of my coworkers and we all work under the CEO. I have done a great job, bringing in over a million dollars last year and securing over 400 donors. But I receive very little positive feedback and I’m made to feel that my work isn’t important. The CEO stopped checking in with me or saying hi about a year ago. This has been very difficult because he spends 99% of his time on the health center and has no time to lead the foundation. I am basically acting as the Director without the pay or authority. I make 55k salary with little time off. I have talked about the director role with him and he says he is not interested in changing the structure. He makes every day difficult by micromanaging decisions over email for the foundation and yet taking no leadership or initiative to make things happen. All he does is say no to every idea that I have. He also contradicts himself by saying he wants one thing and then changing his mind without telling me. Most recently he picked my coworker to go with him on a special trip to DC and I am hurt that the offer wasn’t given to our team and instead she was singled out and favoritized. I have secured a few private clients to be a freelance grant writer and am thinking it’s time to resign to pursue my own journey where I can work less hours and be in control of my schedule and stress level. I’m also taking care of my dad who is elderly and needs more help from me than I can currently give. My wife has a good job and a steady income, we have savings and no kids and live in a small town with a low cost of living. I made up my mind to quit but every day I second-guess myself and feel afraid to make the next move. I just feel like there is no future for me at my company and I’m sick of feeling bad. What would you do in my situation?